10 things we learned from Week 35 of the 2023-24 Premier League season
It's going to take guts, gumption, and a bit of luck to win the 2023-24 Premier League title.
Arsenal and Manchester City showed all three in Week 35, while Liverpool missed the last bit in a 2-2 draw that put their hopes of a farewell title for Jurgen Klopp near the trash bin.
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The relegation zone claimed one permanent member, as well, while the race for fourth-place looks close to settled and the Europa League fight pretty lively.
Here are 10 thoughts from our writers, as Joe Prince-Wright, Andy Edwards, and Nick Mendola share their observations from across the most recent PL games.
10 things we learned from Week 35 of the 2023-24 Premier League season
Ruthless Gunners take the next step
Last season Arsenal would have drawn this game. They didn’t. Just. And the word to sum up their display at Tottenham on Sunday was ruthless. They were 3-0 up at half time despite only having 28 percent possession. They took their chances, put their foot down when the moment arrived and held on. It seemed like they enjoyed the scrap to stay ahead late on too. That is the big difference this season. Arsenal have the ability to be clinical, dogged and have shown a different way to play. This was a similar display to when they ground out a draw away at Manchester City earlier in 2024. They sat in, picked their moments and made them count. That is progression. That is maturity. That is the step forward Arteta has been looking for. Yes, they made two big mistakes late on (Raya’s poor pass to Romero and Rice’s challenge on Davies) to give Tottenham a sniff of getting a point, but that was it. They hung in there, suffered and came out on top. Arsenal are still second favorites in the title race but with three games to go they’re still in it and if Man City slip up they now this time Arsenal will be ready to make the most of it. — Joe Prince-Wright
Liverpool limping towards Klopp’s farewell tells us he was right
Jurgen Klopp surprised everyone back in January when he said he'd call time on his Liverpool career at the end of the season. Liverpool were going for four trophies at the time despite a huge injury crisis and everything seemed to be heading in the right direction. But Klopp is smarter than most and the way Liverpool have ended this season proves his decision was the correct one. For so long he’s wrung every ounce of talent and passion out of his Liverpool squads but it looks like he no longer has the energy to do it and this squad is clearly at a transitional point. Klopp’s heated exchange with star man Mohamed Salah at West Ham will be brushed under the carpet but it’s clear there is tension there, and has been that way for some time. Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, and Alisson have all had tough moments this season. So has Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Liverpool’s other forwards have failed to step up when Salah has struggled with form or absence due to AFCON or injury. It all adds up to Klopp making the right call at the right time. Did he hope his side could hang on and win the title, and a couple of other trophies, to ride off into the sunset? Of course, but in truth he knew they were overachieving this season and nobody expected them to win the title. With this new-look squad, top four is a huge achievement and Klopp leaves Liverpool in a much better place than when he arrived. As a manager, that is all you hope to do (as well as winning a few trophies and creating a few lasting memories along the way). Klopp has done that and then some and his legacy will remain intact at Liverpool forever. When all is said and done, nobody will remember that Liverpool’s title race in Klopp’s final season ended with a whimper. — Joe Prince-Wright
Missed Forest chances could also haunt Arsenal
Nottingham Forest 0-2 Manchester City
You rarely see Manchester City give up this many big chances against anyone, let alone a lower-half side, and Forest will be lamenting points that could’ve seen them much closer to Premier League safety and also swung the Premier League title race away from history. Instead, Manchester City keep hold of their title fate, as three wins will make anything done by Arsenal irrelevant to the first four-peat in Premier League history. For what it’s worth, Erling Haaland’s return to the field saw a hungry substitute who wants to defend his Golden Boot title. Should he find starter’s fitness for the final three games — and should Phil Foden get over the illness that stopped him from being in the 18 — this whole title thing might be in the bag. — Nick Mendola
Nothing to differentiate Man United and Burnley (which says something, doesn’t it?)
What ended 1-1 could have just as easily been 3-3 or 4-4 with the number of shots (43) and nearly 4.0 xG between the sides. Man United were in control for much of the first half, as they took 10 straight shots in the first 25 minutes and looked certain to score any minute now; Burnley couldn’t get the ball out of their own half until a big momentum swing around the 25th minute, and suddenly it was anyone’s game. Burnley were finding the out-balls they needed to launch counter-attacks, and it was everything that Erik Ten Hag hoped to avoid with a midfield and defensive spine comprised of Christian Eriksen and Kobbie Mainoo protecting Casemiro and Harry Maguire. Andre Onana was the hero in the first half, making three increasingly impressive saves as it drew to a close, but would wind up the lowercase goat again in the second half. Antony gave Man United the lead in the 79th minute, but Onana gave away an 87th-minute penalty when he needlessly barged through Zeki Amdouni in the air. Amdouni was the one who stepped to the spot, sent Onana one way and rolled the ball the other. An unexpected, but thoroughly deserved, point for Burnley. — Andy Edwards
Pochettino’s Blues make nothing easy
Aston Villa are a good team but Chelsea were better aside from 2-3 moments, two of which went into the Chelsea goal. That left Mauricio Pochettino’s Blues chasing a point instead of seeking a winner much earlier in the game. Chelsea really should be a top-six teams this season even despite its long injury list, as Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and Christopher Nkunku have missed much of the season (and now Enzo Fernandez is out as well). And if Pochettino were to have scapegoated that would be unfortunate. There’s no guarantee any boss would’ve done better with this young and absence-hammered Chelsea side, who aren’t showing great signs but good omens that better is to come for Todd Boehly’s club. — Nick Mendola
Wilder fails to solidify talent-challenged Blades
Newcastle 5-1 Sheffield United
It was a cute idea, Chris Wilder taking over for Paul Heckingbottom to try and save Sheffield United’s season. What always seemed fantasy proved to be that, as Wilder could not take a squad of talent not fit for the top flight and turn it into something more stable. The Blades took 0.42 points-per-game under Heckingbottom, scoring 0.78 goals per game and conceding 2.78 including a whopping eight at home to Newcastle. Under Wilder? 0.52 points-per-game with 1.09 scored and 2.76 conceded per game. No manager was going to get a real song out of the Blades after the club failed to rebuild the team following the sales of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye. Vinicius Souza and Cameron Archer had moments but weren’t stars, and they would’ve been fine as additions to keeping Berge and Ndiaye, but there rest of the additions weren’t good enough even as USMNT back Auston Trusty and Dutch midfielder Gustavo Hamer huffed and puffer with promise at times. — Nick Mendola
Punished and prevailing — The Everton 2023-24 story
Let’s be honest: Everton at no point in the season really looked like a bottom-three side. Sure, there were bad performances but the main problems plaguing Sean Dyche’s men were off-field as the points deductions had them staring at a table footing not befitting their actual side. In fact, the early parts of the season saw Everton as more of an easy mid-table side that could threaten European qualification with decent finishing quality (which they decidedly did not get). Instead of a conversation regarding whether Sean Dyche could take them from mid-table to Europe, it’s difficult to say anything other than good things for the Ginger Mourinho given how he navigated a tumultuous and terribly difficult situation at Goodison Park. The Toffees were punished for breaking rules, but always had too much gumption to fall prey to those penalties. — Nick Mendola
Luton have finally run out of steam
Look, the fact Luton have a chance of Premier League survival with three games of the season to go is a miracle in itself. They have been a scrappy, feisty addition to the Premier League and nobody expected anything from them this season. But to win just one of their last 14 games shows you how badly injuries have impacted them and they have now totally run out of steam. Rob Edwards will be bemoaning his luck because had he had a fully fit squad, Luton probably would have at least 10 more points on the board this season. But they don’t and they’ve picked up just six points since January 30. They still have home games against Everton and Fulham remaining, plus a trip to West Ham in-between, and with three games to go they have a chance of staying up. Luton now need to somehow regain energy and focus and regain belief that they can stay up. If they get six points from their final three games it feels like it will be enough to keep them up. All is not lost but Luton have to tell themselves that their season now comes down to these next three games. It is the playoffs. Just like the playoffs they won last season to be in the Premier League. Based on everything we’ve seen from them this season, Luton can find inspiration and energy from absolutely nowhere. With Elijah Adebayo back from injury, they just have to go for it for the final three games. — Joe Prince-Wright
Cherries not done while Brighton’s play is worrisome
It’s not a great sign for Brighton what’s happened under Roberto De Zerbi since exiting Europe and going to the international break on March 14. The Seagulls have not won in six matches and also drew relegation-struggling Brentford and Burnley, now losing Sunday in a significant way. The fact that Brighton have not been able to muster spirit has been alarming, and their status as xG darlings has fallen in a big way. The long-term injuries to Kaoru Mitoma and Solly March affected the side, as have more recent problems for Evan Ferguson and Pervis Estupinan, but it still should look much better. Bournemouth have not quit at all under Andoni Iraola and there’s a hunger about the way this team attacks games. The Cherries have quietly grown their open play numbers and they’ve had back luck when it comes to goals produced below xG and conceded above xGA. They, too, were missing players today in Tyler Adams, the suspended Milos Kerkez, dangerous Luis Sinisterra, and sneaky important Marcus Tavernier. It was not an issue, and Iraola looks one of the rising stars in Premier League management. — Nick Mendola
Back and forth from start to finish, Fulham 1-1 Palace a fair result
Rodrigo Muniz’s goal came in the 52nd minute, as Fulham pressed to win the ball back and quickly counter down the right wing. Timothy Castagne served up a stellar cross to the back post where Muniz arrived with perfect timing and thumped his header home. It had been four games since Muniz had been on the score sheet after becoming one of the breakout stars of the 2023-24 Premier League season with eight goals and an assist in his prior eight appearances. There were chances a-plenty for both sides throughout the rest of the second half, and Fulham probably would have gotten away with the 1-0 win if not for the moment of brilliance from Jeff Schlupp. Adam Wharton played him into a bit of space 20 yards from goal, where Schlupp turned, corralled the ball, and shot the ball all in one swift motion. It rose until it hit the ceiling of the net and a point had been secured. — Joe Prince-Wright
